Kristin “The Chick” Billerbeck! And A Free Book Giveaway!

Yesterday, my author friend Kristin Billerbeck and I caught up via email.

She’s in Silicon Valley and I’m in Kansas City, but that doesn’t stop us. Neither does the fact that she loves Italian leather handbags and I’m all about the Wal-Mart $5 clearance bin. I could joke that the characteristic we most share in common is that we both read her books, but honestly, it’s more than that.

I love Kristin because she’s honest, and I always find that quality so refreshing. If you visit the group chick blog she co-hosts with fellow authors Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter, you’ll see what I mean. Each of the girls has such a distinctive writing style, you know whose entry it is from the first phrase you read.

With Kristin, it’s all about laying it on the line—no matter what it turns out to be!

Kristin is a chick-lit writer who happens to be a Christian. And while you’ll find Christian themes in her stories about flawed and foibled chicks, you’ll also have a lot of fun second-guessing what her characters will do given the circumstances they find themselves in.

I gotta tell ya, I was surprised by the ending of Split Ends. Surprised in a good way, that is. Sarah Claire, the main chick, has fallen in love, but darned if a little detail isn’t revealed about her intended that would make me run screaming into the night. What the heck will Sarah do in the wake of this revelation? You’ll have to read the book, or wait….maybe Kristin herself will tell all.

Katy: Tell us how much of Sarah’s decision to move away from small-town Wyoming to Hollywood had to do with her career aspirations, and how much had to do with her iffy relationship to her alcoholic mother.

Kristin: I wanted to show the codependence relationship and how unhealthy it is, and hard to get out of. It’s not just a matter of leaving; there are all these huge issues that she’s been sacked with. Sarah’s running had consequences.

Katy: Maybe getting away helped her see the nature of their relationship?

Kristin: Yeah. The thing was, it was healthy for her to go. I hoped to inspire someone out there who may not see the pattern for what it is.
Katy: You are such a wonderful chick lit writer, you’ve even been on The Today Show, chatting up Ann Curry! And now, look at you—appearing at fallible! You’ve come a long way, baby!

Kristin: I know!

Katy: Can you tell my fallible audience where you get the inspiration for your fun characters?

Kristin: Chick lit is just my natural voice. I am snarky by nature and yet…a Christian. Go figure.

Katy: You? Snarky? No, really, I understand. Completely.

Kristin: I think that humor is a great way to grow a character because it’s not painful. I can’t stand pain, so I have to laugh when life gets too serious. Hence, the chick lit.

Katy: Yeah. Endless Angst can only carry a girl so far. Sometimes, you just gotta let loose and giggle.

Kristin: It helps that I never really grew up.

Katy: That would make a difference!

Kristin: My inspiration often comes from something I’m watching a friend grapple with. For example, in the Ashley Stockingdale series, it was watching really great single women and men miss out on relationship because they couldn’t commit to ANYTHING, much less another human being.

Katy: So, you’re a consumate oberver of human nature, eh?

Kristin: Yeah. In Split Ends, the inspiration for Sarah Claire came from a friend in an unhealthy relationship.

Katy: I couldn’t wait to find out whether Sarah would cave in and bail her alkie mother (who’d followed her to the city) out of jail again, like in the old days…

Kristin: So, did she? Just kidding. Then, the idea for Trophy Wives Club came from watching a woman—whose husband didn’t attend church with their family—trying to navigate where she fit in by joining Sunday School.

Katy: About Sarah—was it hard to write a lovable character who doesn’t know the difference between quality leather and cowhide-grained vinyl? In other words, do you love me?

Kristin: Ha! Since we moved back to Silicon Valley, I can’t afford anything, so I can relate. And it’s never ANY trouble for me to write clueless chicks. I come by clueless naturally.

Katy: Just for fun, finish this sentence: “I’d be able to do without BLANK, but only if I knew I’d be getting some serious BLANK down the road.”

Kristin: I’m a car chick. Always have been. I’m able to drive a minivan because I know, at some point, my children will grow up and yeah, yeah, I’ll be sad to see them go.

Katy: Uh-huh. Fill in the BLANKS.

Kristin: But I will be happy to get a car that does not have French Fries smashed in the seats and a week’s worth of mismatched socks for four on the floor.

Katy: Ain’t it the truth? One last question: If you had to choose between great shoes and a fantastic purse, which would it be?

Kristin: Always the purse. I’ve got MS, and I don’t always have good balance. Great shoes are sometimes elusive. I have Michelle K’s in every color and I’m happy with that.

Katy: What’s a Michelle K? Is that like Dr. Scholl’s?

Kristin: But a purse that feels like buttah? That is a necessity in my life. In college, I bought my first luxury purse at the outlets. My rent was $210/month and my purse was $199.

Katy: Yeah, but could you sleep in it? Or take a shower?

Kristin: It was a Kenneth Cole, whom I’d never heard of.

Katy: Isn’t he that televangelist?

Kristin: I don’t really care much about names, only that the leather is like buttah. : )

Thanks for joining us today, Kristin! And if you’d like to read a book that goes down like buttah, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Split Ends.

Posted by Katy on 10/14/07 at 02:26 PM

Fallible Comments...

Great interview, chicas! So funny. Have you two thought about writing a book together?
Posted by relevantgirl on 10/14/07 at 07:50 PM
I've never read a "chick lit" book before. Maybe this might be my chance. Katy, why don't you write a chick lit book about the girls at STA. That would be a hoot! Glad I learned about your site....at least we can keep in touch this way. Would still love to see you!
Posted by Mary Anne Green on 10/15/07 at 06:49 AM
Relevant Mary--Ha!! You can't believe the number of emails that got shot back and forth between us--ON A COMPLETELY UNRELATED SUBJECT--while putting together this little interview. We would distract the heck out of each other--but we WOULD have fun.... :)

Mary Anne--It's been so fun to know you're peeking in here. And I never answered your response about my weird blood test! Thank you for it. They issued my life insurance with no problem without repeating the test, so everyone in the universe EXCEPT ME must have known it was a fluke! :) Good luck winning Kristin's book. Chick lit is a fun genre you should try!! (And about those STA girls? I missed my own 35th reunion Saturday night. But that doesn't mean I can't write about them, eh?)
Posted by Katy on 10/15/07 at 07:36 AM
What? A chance to win a free book?! I'm so in... Please, oh, please, let me be lucky this time! :)
Posted by Bridget on 10/15/07 at 07:56 AM
Great interview! I'm always on the lookout for a new book. Put me in the running!
Posted by Nancy Wood on 10/15/07 at 10:26 AM
Great interview, Katy! I hosted a book club during the summer, through the radio station, and "Split Ends" was our book for the month of July. Without exception, the women loved it. I also had the pleasure of interviewing Kristin on my radio show.
Posted by Cindy Swanson on 10/15/07 at 10:46 AM
Excellent interview, Katy and Kristin! Thanks for sharing. You both always make me laugh! *g*
Posted by Diann on 10/15/07 at 11:00 AM
Thank you for interviewing me!! Although after our conversation, I saw this new SUV, and now I'm coveting. IT's American-made, so I think that shows I'm getting realistic about life.

Tomorrow night is David Crowder in San Francisco. WOOOHOOO!!!
Posted by Kristin on 10/15/07 at 04:40 PM
Thanks for the interview ladies. I've read all the Ashley and spa girls books. I'll get right Trophy Wives and Split Ends though to catch up!
Posted by Carrie on 10/15/07 at 07:40 PM
Hey,Kristin, are we still having our email debate about bags vs. shoes? Shoes, babe, shoes, are the best. Bags just carry "stuff." Shoes carry us.

Love your books. Bonnie
Posted by Bonnie Engstrom on 10/15/07 at 10:14 PM
Great interview!

Have fun at David Crowder!

Rachel
Posted by Rachel Hauck on 10/16/07 at 06:53 AM
Bridget--Your number may be up, baby sister! You will love Kristin's books....

Nancy--Now that I've introduced you to Diann Hunt's fine novels, maybe you'll win one of Kristin's books!

Cindy--Your job must be the best in the world! You've met and interviewed so many fascinating people, Kristin not the least of them! Thanks for commenting here!

Diann--I think it's safe to say you always make both of us laugh, too!! :)

Kristin--You are hilarious! If being interviewed here at fallible can make you lust for a new car (even an American one--ha!), I have more power that I knew!!! :) Thank you so much for joining us. It's been tremendous fun.

Carrie--I'm STILL not sure we've actually met. Were you in Dallas? I'll get this straight, yet. BTW, you are the third Carrie who comments here. Carrie K is a long-time reader, and Carrie Dahmer is my dear daughter....

Bonnie--You are hilarious! Thanks for checking in. I am asking my husband to answer the more techie question you emailed me with--I honestly don't have a clue!!

Rachel--Hey, lady! David Crowder does sound like fun, huh? I know I'm showing my age, but next week we're going to a Reunion Concert with Paul Clark and Phil Keaggy. We know both guys, so it will be a blast!!
Posted by Katy on 10/16/07 at 06:40 PM
OK, ladies. Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I will have my very completely impartial husband draw a winner, and I'll announce it here. Best wishes to one and all and thanks for your entertaining comments!!
Posted by Katy on 10/16/07 at 06:41 PM
Great interview. I can't wait to get some reading time!

Thanks,

MT Mommy
Posted by MT Mommy on 10/20/07 at 03:15 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Kristin “The Chick” Billerbeck! And A Free Book Giveaway! Yesterday, my author friend Kristin Billerbeck and I caught up via email. She’s in Silicon Valley and I’m in Kansas City, but that doesn’t stop us. Neither does the fact that she loves Italian leather handbags and I’m all about the Wal-Mart $5 clearance bin. I could joke that the characteristic we most share in common is that we both read her books, but honestly, it’s more than that. I love Kristin because she’s honest, and I always find that quality so refreshing. If you visit the group chick blog she co-hosts with fellow authors Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter, you’ll see what I mean. Each of the girls has such a distinctive writing style, you know whose entry it is from the first phrase you read. With Kristin, it’s all about laying it on the line—no matter what it turns out to be! Kristin is a chick-lit writer who happens to be a Christian. And while you’ll find Christian themes in her stories about flawed and foibled chicks, you’ll also have a lot of fun second-guessing what her characters will do given the circumstances they find themselves in. I gotta tell ya, I was surprised by the ending of Split Ends. Surprised in a good way, that is. Sarah Claire, the main chick, has fallen in love, but darned if a little detail isn’t revealed about her intended that would make me run screaming into the night. What the heck will Sarah do in the wake of this revelation? You’ll have to read the book, or wait….maybe Kristin herself will tell all. Katy: Tell us how much of Sarah’s decision to move away from small-town Wyoming to Hollywood had to do with her career aspirations, and how much had to do with her iffy relationship to her alcoholic mother. Kristin: I wanted to show the codependence relationship and how unhealthy it is, and hard to get out of. It’s not just a matter of leaving; there are all these huge issues that she’s been sacked with. Sarah’s running had consequences. Katy: Maybe getting away helped her see the nature of their relationship? Kristin: Yeah. The thing was, it was healthy for her to go. I hoped to inspire someone out there who may not see the pattern for what it is. Katy: You are such a wonderful chick lit writer, you’ve even been on The Today Show, chatting up Ann Curry! And now, look at you—appearing at fallible! You’ve come a long way, baby! Kristin: I know! Katy: Can you tell my fallible audience where you get the inspiration for your fun characters? Kristin: Chick lit is just my natural voice. I am snarky by nature and yet…a Christian. Go figure. Katy: You? Snarky? No, really, I understand. Completely. Kristin: I think that humor is a great way to grow a character because it’s not painful. I can’t stand pain, so I have to laugh when life gets too serious. Hence, the chick lit. Katy: Yeah. Endless Angst can only carry a girl so far. Sometimes, you just gotta let loose and giggle. Kristin: It helps that I never really grew up. Katy: That would make a difference! Kristin: My inspiration often comes from something I’m watching a friend grapple with. For example, in the Ashley Stockingdale series, it was watching really great single women and men miss out on relationship because they couldn’t commit to ANYTHING, much less another human being. Katy: So, you’re a consumate oberver of human nature, eh? Kristin: Yeah. In Split Ends, the inspiration for Sarah Claire came from a friend in an unhealthy relationship. Katy: I couldn’t wait to find out whether Sarah would cave in and bail her alkie mother (who’d followed her to the city) out of jail again, like in the old days… Kristin: So, did she? Just kidding. Then, the idea for Trophy Wives Club came from watching a woman—whose husband didn’t attend church with their family—trying to navigate where she fit in by joining Sunday School. Katy: About Sarah—was it hard to write a lovable character who doesn’t know the difference between quality leather and cowhide-grained vinyl? In other words, do you love me? Kristin: Ha! Since we moved back to Silicon Valley, I can’t afford anything, so I can relate. And it’s never ANY trouble for me to write clueless chicks. I come by clueless naturally. Katy: Just for fun, finish this sentence: “I’d be able to do without BLANK, but only if I knew I’d be getting some serious BLANK down the road.” Kristin: I’m a car chick. Always have been. I’m able to drive a minivan because I know, at some point, my children will grow up and yeah, yeah, I’ll be sad to see them go. Katy: Uh-huh. Fill in the BLANKS. Kristin: But I will be happy to get a car that does not have French Fries smashed in the seats and a week’s worth of mismatched socks for four on the floor. Katy: Ain’t it the truth? One last question: If you had to choose between great shoes and a fantastic purse, which would it be? Kristin: Always the purse. I’ve got MS, and I don’t always have good balance. Great shoes are sometimes elusive. I have Michelle K’s in every color and I’m happy with that. Katy: What’s a Michelle K? Is that like Dr. Scholl’s? Kristin: But a purse that feels like buttah? That is a necessity in my life. In college, I bought my first luxury purse at the outlets. My rent was $210/month and my purse was $199. Katy: Yeah, but could you sleep in it? Or take a shower? Kristin: It was a Kenneth Cole, whom I’d never heard of. Katy: Isn’t he that televangelist? Kristin: I don’t really care much about names, only that the leather is like buttah. : ) Thanks for joining us today, Kristin! And if you’d like to read a book that goes down like buttah, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Split Ends. Posted by Katy on 10/14/07 at 02:26 PM Fallible Comments... Great interview, chicas! So funny. Have you two thought about writing a book together? Posted by relevantgirl on 10/14/07 at 07:50 PM I've never read a "chick lit" book before. Maybe this might be my chance. Katy, why don't you write a chick lit book about the girls at STA. That would be a hoot! Glad I learned about your site....at least we can keep in touch this way. Would still love to see you! Posted by Mary Anne Green on 10/15/07 at 06:49 AM Relevant Mary--Ha!! You can't believe the number of emails that got shot back and forth between us--ON A COMPLETELY UNRELATED SUBJECT--while putting together this little interview. We would distract the heck out of each other--but we WOULD have fun.... :) Mary Anne--It's been so fun to know you're peeking in here. And I never answered your response about my weird blood test! Thank you for it. They issued my life insurance with no problem without repeating the test, so everyone in the universe EXCEPT ME must have known it was a fluke! :) Good luck winning Kristin's book. Chick lit is a fun genre you should try!! (And about those STA girls? I missed my own 35th reunion Saturday night. But that doesn't mean I can't write about them, eh?) Posted by Katy on 10/15/07 at 07:36 AM What? A chance to win a free book?! I'm so in... Please, oh, please, let me be lucky this time! :) Posted by Bridget on 10/15/07 at 07:56 AM Great interview! I'm always on the lookout for a new book. Put me in the running! Posted by Nancy Wood on 10/15/07 at 10:26 AM Great interview, Katy! I hosted a book club during the summer, through the radio station, and "Split Ends" was our book for the month of July. Without exception, the women loved it. I also had the pleasure of interviewing Kristin on my radio show. Posted by Cindy Swanson on 10/15/07 at 10:46 AM Excellent interview, Katy and Kristin! Thanks for sharing. You both always make me laugh! g Posted by Diann on 10/15/07 at 11:00 AM Thank you for interviewing me!! Although after our conversation, I saw this new SUV, and now I'm coveting. IT's American-made, so I think that shows I'm getting realistic about life. Tomorrow night is David Crowder in San Francisco. WOOOHOOO!!! Posted by Kristin on 10/15/07 at 04:40 PM Thanks for the interview ladies. I've read all the Ashley and spa girls books. I'll get right Trophy Wives and Split Ends though to catch up! Posted by Carrie on 10/15/07 at 07:40 PM Hey,Kristin, are we still having our email debate about bags vs. shoes? Shoes, babe, shoes, are the best. Bags just carry "stuff." Shoes carry us. Love your books. Bonnie Posted by Bonnie Engstrom on 10/15/07 at 10:14 PM Great interview! Have fun at David Crowder! Rachel Posted by Rachel Hauck on 10/16/07 at 06:53 AM Bridget--Your number may be up, baby sister! You will love Kristin's books.... Nancy--Now that I've introduced you to Diann Hunt's fine novels, maybe you'll win one of Kristin's books! Cindy--Your job must be the best in the world! You've met and interviewed so many fascinating people, Kristin not the least of them! Thanks for commenting here! Diann--I think it's safe to say you always make both of us laugh, too!! :) Kristin--You are hilarious! If being interviewed here at fallible can make you lust for a new car (even an American one--ha!), I have more power that I knew!!! :) Thank you so much for joining us. It's been tremendous fun. Carrie--I'm STILL not sure we've actually met. Were you in Dallas? I'll get this straight, yet. BTW, you are the third Carrie who comments here. Carrie K is a long-time reader, and Carrie Dahmer is my dear daughter.... Bonnie--You are hilarious! Thanks for checking in. I am asking my husband to answer the more techie question you emailed me with--I honestly don't have a clue!! Rachel--Hey, lady! David Crowder does sound like fun, huh? I know I'm showing my age, but next week we're going to a Reunion Concert with Paul Clark and Phil Keaggy. We know both guys, so it will be a blast!! Posted by Katy on 10/16/07 at 06:40 PM OK, ladies. Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I will have my very completely impartial husband draw a winner, and I'll announce it here. Best wishes to one and all and thanks for your entertaining comments!! Posted by Katy on 10/16/07 at 06:41 PM Great interview. I can't wait to get some reading time! Thanks, MT Mommy Posted by MT Mommy on 10/20/07 at 03:15 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Nancy Wood, Come On Down! Previous entry: Come Saturday Morning << Back to main


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Kristin “The Chick” Billerbeck! And A Free Book Giveaway!

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri